Maple Lake grounded the Snurdbirds Saturday at Joe Schleper Stadium behind a big fifth inning and a strong start from Hunter Malachek for an 8-2 win.

The Lakers put up six runs in the fifth inning to build an 8-1 lead that was safe with Malachek throwing. Malachek went eight innings, gave up two runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out eight to send Maple Lake through to the third weekend of the state tournament.

The Lakers batted 11 in the fifth inning and chased Midway starter Jake Lund after 4 ⅓ innings. Lund got charged for seven runs on six hits, walked three and struck out one by the time the inning ended.

It started small for Maple Lake in the fifth with Luke Fobbe singling and then Brian Redemske and Donnie Mavencamp laid down successive bunts for base hits to load the bases. Matt Bergstrom drew a walk to force in a run and Malachek hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1 at the time. Derek Rachel followed with an RBI double. The Lakers weren’t done and No. 9-hitter Mitch Wurm singled to add two more runs. Fobbe returned to the plate and drove in a run with a double to make it 8-1.

The Snurdbirds responded in the bottom half but only for one unearned run. Zach Etter reached on an error and scored on a double from Chris Baso.

Maple Lake took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when an infield hit from Mavencamp and a sacrifice bunt gave the Lakers a runner in scoring position with one away. Malachek came through with a triple to score Mavencamp and he later scored on a sacrifice fly from Nate Maas.

Midway struggled defensively from the start, committing an error on the first batter of the game. The Snurdbirds finished with five errors in the game.

Maple Lake will face the winner of the Fort Ripley-New Market game Saturday, Sept. 1 at 5 p.m. in Shakopee. Fort Ripley and New Market play Sunday in New Prague at 11 a.m

Maple Lake grounded the Snurdbirds Saturday at Joe Schleper Stadium behind a big fifth inning and a strong start from Hunter Malachek for an 8-2 win.

The Lakers put up six runs in the fifth inning to build an 8-1 lead that was safe with Malachek throwing. Malachek went eight innings, gave up two runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out eight to send Maple Lake through to the third weekend of the state tournament.

The Lakers batted 11 in the fifth inning and chased Midway starter Jake Lund after 4 ⅓ innings. Lund got charged for five runs on six hits, walked three and struck out one by the time the inning ended.

It started small for Maple Lake in the fifth with Luke Fobbe singling and then Brian Redemske and Donnie Mavencamp laid down successive bunts for base hits to load the bases. Matt Bergstrom drew a walk to force in a run and Malachek hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1 at the time. Derek Rachel followed with an RBI double. The Lakers weren’t done and No. 9-hitter Mitch Wurm singled to add two more runs. Fobbe returned to the plate and drove in a run with a double to make it 8-1.

The Snurdbirds responded in the bottom half but only for one run. Zach Etter reached on a single and scored on a double from Chris Baso.

Maple Lake took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when an infield hit from Mavencamp and a sacrifice bunt gave the Lakers a runner in scoring position with one away. Malachek came through with a triple to score Mavencamp and he later scored on a sacrifice fly from Nate Maas.

Midway struggled defensively from the start, committing an error on the first batter of the game. The Snurdbirds finished with five errors in the game.

Maple Lake will face the winner of the Fort Ripley-New Market game Saturday, Sept. 1 at 5 p.m. in Shakopee. Fort Ripley and New Market play Sunday in New Prague at 11 a.m.

Sartell 4, Ada 0

Two teams have tried to solve Sartell’s David Deminsky at Class C state, and neither succeeded.

Deminsky threw a complete-game shutout in a 4-0 win over Ada Saturday at Joe Schleper Stadium in Shakopee. Combined with his performance last week, the Muskies’ left-hander has allowed one run in 17 innings of work at state this year.

Tim Burns hit an RBI single in the first inning, and Jake Sweeter added a single to score Ethan Carlson in the sixth. In the eighth, Jace Otto hit an infield single to the hole at short to drive one in and Brian Schellinger lined a single to center to make it 4-0 and chase Ada starter Tyler Anderson from the game.

The Athletics had their share of chances. Ada led off the third with two singles, but hit into a double play and struck out to end the inning. In the fifth, the A’s had the bases loaded with one out, but Deminsky got two fly ball outs to end the threat.

Deminsky allowed seven hits in his nine innings of work, striking out 16 and walking one.

Anderson went 7 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits. His defense committed four errors behind him, and the A’s finished with five total.

Sartell outhit Ada 10-7. Brett Fetting and Matt Pietsch each had two hits for the A’s.

The Muskies advance to play the winner of Red Wing at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 1 in New Prague.

Red Wing 5, St. Patrick 4

In a game where the difference was never more than one run over the final six innings, the Aces found the last clutch hit needed to complete a late comeback.

Josh Thygesen dropped an RBI single just fair down the left-field line in the eighth inning, the go-ahead run for Red Wing in a 5-4 win over St. Patrick Saturday at Joe Schleper Stadium.

Thygesen put the Aces up in the eighth for the first time since they had a 3-2 lead after the fourth. Entering the inning down 4-3, Red Wing tied it on a sacrifice fly from Seth Yeatman.

Draftee Keith Meyers of Cannon Falls finished the final seven outs of the game and earned the win by working around a one-out walk in the ninth.

St. Patrick took its first lead in the top of the sixth. Derrick Isaacson had an RBI single to tie the game at 3. Isaacson stole second and forced a bad throw, allowing Jack Friedges to come home from third on the error.

Neither starting pitcher lasted five innings. St. Patrick’s Josh Simon went three innings, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out two. Spencer Schroeder went 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, striking out one. St. Patrick’s Colin Denk took the loss, pitching 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk, with two strikeouts.

Red Wing scored in each of the first two innings to build a 2-0 lead. Corey Tauer drove in Brady Schroeder in the first, and Dixon Irwin had an RBI single in the second.

Jordan Goracke and Isaacson hit RBI singles in the top of the fourth to tie the game 2-2. Red Wing responded with a leadoff double from Zach Garner in the bottom of the inning, and he stole second and came home on a fielder’s choice.

Red Wing plays Sartell at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 1 in New Prague.

Buckman 7, Hadley 5

A scrappy second inning put the Billygoats up, and they were able to hold that lead all the way through to a tight finish.

Buckman held off Hadley 7-5 Saturday at Joe Schleper Stadium, getting an early lead and adding to it in the middle innings.

Hadley got one run in the ninth, and had the tying run at first before Max Zwart flew out to center to end the game.

Buckman belted out 15 hits in the game, getting RBI from six different players and multi-hit days from Lane Girtz, Matt Tautges and Noah Boser, who had three hits, two runs and an RBI.

The Billygoats scored two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to build a 7-2 lead.

Buckman went up 3-0 in the second and of the five singles the Billygoats hit, only four left the infield.

Hadley responded in the bottom of the third with two runs to get back within 3-2. A pair in the bottom of the sixth had the Buttermakers within 7-4.

Nate Dechaine, a draftee from Nisswa, got the win for Buckman, going six innings and allowing four runs, one earned, on five hits and three walks, striking out two. Mark Kahl pitched the final three, allowing one run on two hits, two walks and a strikeout.

Brandan Alfson, a draftee from Pipestone, took the loss for Hadley, allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits and two walks, striking out six. Ryan Christopher, a draftee from Lakefield, pitched the final four, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk, with seven strikeouts.